SOCIAL: H1N1 - The Musical

[Bob Seymour]

“Swine Flu Hemagglutinin”: amino acid sequence as ambient music
Quite chilling:
http://stephan-zielinski.com/static/Swine%20Flu%20Hemagglutinin.mp3

From
http://stephan-zielinski.com/dwa/2009/04/28/swine-flu-ha-as-ambient-music/:
The algorithm I used is a bit complicated, but just in case you’re
curious: since the gene is expressed as a surface protein antibodies can
sense, it’s considered as a string of amino acids.  Each beat
corresponds to one amino acid, and the piece is in 3/4 time, so each six
measures would correspond to five turns around the alpha structure.
 (I’m weaseling because I haven’t the foggiest idea how the protein
actually gets folded.)  Amino acids with side chains that are neither
aromatic not aliphatic control the piano and organ: the nine
non-hydrophobics the piano, and the four hydrophobics the organ. The
three amino acids with aliphatic side chains control the low
synthesizer, while the four with aromatics control the percussion.
 Strictly speaking, this is a version of swine flu hemagglutinin,
FJ966952:

        MKAILVVMLYTFATANADTLCIGYHANNSTDTVDTVLEKNVTVTHSVNLLEDKHNGKLCK
        LRGVAPLHLGKCNIAGWILGNPECESLSTASSWSYIVETSSSDNGTCYPGDFIDYEELRE
        QLSSVSSFERFEIFPKTSSWPNHDSNKGVTAACPHAGAKSFYKNLIWLVKKGNSYPKLSK
        SYINDKGKEVLVLWGIHHPSTSADQQSLYQNADAYVFVGSSRYSKKFKPEIAIRPKVRDQ
        EGRMNYYWTLVEPGDKITFEATGNLVVPRYAFAMERNAGSGIIISDTPVHDCNTTCQTPK
        GAINTSLPFQNIHPITIGKCPKYVKSTKLRLATGLRNVPSIQSRGLFGAIAGFIEGGWTG
        MVDGWYGYHHQNEQGSGYAADLKSTQNAIDEITNKVNSVIEKMNTQFTAVGKEFNHLEKR
        IENLNKKVDDGFLDIWTYNAELLVLLENERTLDYHDSNVKNLYEKVRSQLKNNAKEIGNG
        CFEFYHKCDNTCMESVKNGTYDYPKYSEEAKLNREEIDGVKLESTRIYQILAIYSTVASS
        LVLVVSLGAISFWMCSNGSLQCRICI